The Hurley story


a new rig also created by the designers. It is not known exactly how many


HURLEY 9.5 MOTOR KETCH Price from £14,000


Tailwinds were built, but we do know that most were taken to the USA for long- distance racing. The Tailwind design required several


The Hurley 9.5 motor ketch, a 9.4m (31ft) centre-cockpit, high-volume motor-sailer


which marketed the boat, with some modifi cations, as the Meridian 31 until the mid-1980s.


Sailwind 27


In the last years before closure, Hurley’s managers were looking to revitalise the product line and had already commissioned the 24/70 and 30/90 from Ian Anderson, along with revisions of the 22 and 27. With an eye on the serious racing market, they also partnered with designers Lars Bergström and Sven-Olov Ridder of Sweden (B&R Rigging), together with Bjorn Liddell, to produce the Sailwind 27 and Tailwind 38. The Sailwind is a fl ush-decked cruiser-


racer, with accommodation for six in two cabins and a revolutionary rig. Unfortunately, the company closed before completing any. Certainly there is no archive evidence of Sailwinds being marketed by Hurley, but it is thought that


SAILWIND 27 Price from £7,600


fi ve Sailwind hulls may have been moulded and then sold to Latham’s of Poole, which completed and marketed them from the mid-1970s onwards. Reviewers at the time of the Sailwind’s introduction were impressed with many features of the radical design, in particular the fl ush deck, excellent visibility for the helmsman and crew, and chines in the cockpit sole for better support. The aft cabin provided three bunks and the intelligent internal layout gave a total of six berths, all within 8.2m (27ft) which was considered impressive. Her sailing qualities also came in for


strong commendation, including ease of handling under both sail and power.


Tailwind 38 The Tailwind 38 is a fast and powerful cruiser/racer, designed by Swedes Bergström, Ridder and Liddell and built during the last few years before the demise of Hurley Marine in 1974. She incorporated


TAILWIND 38


Second-hand price currently unavailable


years of tank and wind tunnel testing, many of which were spent on the rig and keel. She was the fi rst production boat to carry the innovative Bergström and Ridder rig, which aimed to reduce windage and improve air fl ow across the mainsail by using a smaller section mast supported by additional swept-back spreaders and stainless-steel rod stays, in addition to conventional stays. The Tailwind can perform well as a family boat with her spacious and fully appointed accommodation, able to sleep seven in reasonable comfort. However, she is also a capable ocean racer with a crew of up to nine. The Tailwind was exhibited at the 1974 London Boat Show, where she attracted the attention of the Prime Minister, Edward Heath.


The end George Hurley retired in 1967. These were tough times for boatbuilders, and Hurley was no exception: a heavily unionised workforce, growing competition and production problems were combining to lead the company into diffi culties. In 1971 consultants were called in to make recommendations for the company’s revival, and fortunes were turning around well until two seriously damaging events occurred. First came the government’s compulsory


three-day week from January to March 1974, in an attempt to reduce electricity usage and conserve coal stocks during the ‘winter of discontent’. Then there was the introduction of VAT


in April 1974. While this was initially set at 10%, a higher rate of 25% was added in 1974 for luxury goods, which seriously affected boat sales.


Sales started to sharply decline against a


backdrop of conditions in the UK which were generally going from bad to worse. Receivers were appointed and the last boat – a 30/90 – left the factory for Hong Kong in December. So ended a fi ne company which had


achieved so much. It had led the development of glassfi bre boatbuilding, created an internationally recognised brand, produced more than 8,000 boats and achieved a phenomenal export performance.


To buy a copy of Nick Vass and Tim Sharman’s book The History of Hurley Marine, and for a wealth of other Hurley information, visit the Hurley Owners’ Association website www.hurleyownersassociation.co.uk


The Sailwind 27, a fl ush-decked cruiser-racer The Tailwind 38, built during Hurley’s last years Practical Boat Owner 539 September 2011 • www.pbo.co.uk 37


Hurley New_fjp.indd 37


3/8/11 12:45:59


David Harding


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